Galway artist, Nicole O’Donnell returns to the Kinvara Area Visual Arts Centre (KAVA) with her latest solo exhibition.
This new collection brings together nearly 60 pieces, combining older works with new explorations in abstraction and colour. While Nicole’s past solo shows, including Awakening in 2022, followed more clearly defined themes, she describes this latest exhibition as a broader, more varied presentation.
“This exhibition is very diverse. It’s kind of eclectic,” Nicole told the Clare Echo. “My other shows before were a little more thematic, whereas this one has a lot of different concepts and themes mixed together. But it all stems from nature and the Irish landscape.”
This new body of work reflects her evolving style and a growing confidence in experimentation. “There’s a mix between more stylised pieces and quite abstract ones,” Nicole says. “I’ve leaned more into abstraction, especially in this collection really focusing on colour and texture. I’ve been using palette knives to create thick textures and layering colours in new ways.”
Known for her use of bold colour, Nicole continues to push visual boundaries by exaggerating tones and layering textures in new ways. “The colours and exaggerations stem from nature, but they’re kind of more hyper-coloured,” she says.
The exhibition also showcases her versatility in materials. “I work with oils, watercolours, inks, even some printmaking,” she says. “It’s a nice mix of different materials. I’ve moved away from just using brushes and started exploring different techniques.”
While she has used this exhibition to experiment with new techniques and continue to evolve and artistic style, Nicole’s works remain grounded in Nicole’s personal connection to place, inspired by the rich surroundings of the West of Ireland. “My grandparents live on the border of the sea, rock, and mountain on the border between Galway and Clare. A lot of it stems from the wildlife and the nature that’s out there.”
Although the exhibition leans heavily into abstraction, Nicole sees the work as deeply rooted in real-world inspiration. “There’s always a mix or a barrier between the realistic and the abstract in my work. Even when it’s abstract, it’s still very representative of nature.”
She acknowledges that abstract work can sometimes feel less accessible to viewers but hopes the variety within the exhibition will invite people in..”
The show opens on Thursday, August 21 at KAVA Gallery, Kinvara, and continues until August 26th, open daily from 11am to 4pm.
